Photo:
Sandy PetersStreet food stands are very popular in
Korea. They take their name from the two
kinds of hot foods they sell:
Dukbokgi and
Odeng.
(Food
stand in Chilsuk)

Photo:
Sandy PetersDukbokgi is a spicy hot food
made of rice cakes and some vegetables
with spicy dressing. These rice cakes are
finger-shaped. They are mixed with sliced
vegetables in a pan with a spicy red
dressing. (Food stand in Seoul)

Photo:
Sandy PetersEach food stand has its own recipes for
its food; for example, some like to add
sugar or other special ingredients in the
food. (Food stand in Chilsuk)

Hot Food
Stands in Korea

Hye-Mi
Cho from Korea

Street
food stands are very popular in Korea. They take
their name from the two kinds of hot foods they
sell: Dukbokgi and Odeng.

Dukbokgi
is a spicy hot food made of rice cakes and some
vegetables with spicy dressing. These rice cakes
are finger-shaped. They are white, and they are
about ten centimeters in length and about 1. 5
centimeters in diameter.

They
are mixed with sliced vegetables in a pan with a
spicy red dressing. Fifteen minutes later, they are
ready to eat.

Odeng
is made of ground fish. It comes in various shapes:
some are square, others are round, and still others
are stick style. You can buy big or small ones.

At
these food stands, you can also eat Odeng,
which has been boiled in a pot. It's served on a
long stick so you can eat it easily, and it's eaten
with soy sauce.

The
food sold at these stands is not expensive,
compared to what other foods in Korea cost. Each
Dukbokgi and Odeng costs about twenty
to fifty cents, depending on the owner.

Each
food stand has its own recipes for its food; for
example, some like to add sugar or other special
ingredients in the food. Usually, there is just one
owner, but if the food stand is big, there may be
two or three owners.

When
I was an elementary school student, I used to stop
at one of these stands everyday after school to eat
this food because I liked it so much.

Near
my school, there was a Dukbokgi and
Odeng food stand which was and still is
famous in my hometown. I remember standing there
many times eating O-deng with soup.